Shadows
by Ruining Hopes and Dreams
Summary: In his eyes, I saw everything that could have been, but never will be.


**So, this story is for R of the R.L. Sisters, who didn't get a one-shot for the LawlClan Secret Santa Christmas Challenge. Her prompts were:**

_"They say shadows on snow are pure. But, all her shadows were black."_

Shade + Snow = Blue

Not dark-ish like on anything else

_"In his eyes, I saw everything that could have been, but never will be."_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.**

* * *

><p><span>Shadows<span>

_"They're beautiful," he said simply to Snowfeather, gazing at their kits with a mixture of pride and wonder._

_"I know." Snowfeather looked just as stunned as her mate that she was now a parent. "What will we call them?" Shadefur looked at the kits, his kits, his yellow eyes automatically focusing on the smaller of the two, a blue-grey coloured she-cat._

_"Bluekit," he suggested practically. _

_"It's perfect," Snowfeather told him. "And this one can be..."_

_"Owlkit." Shadefur thought the kit looked a bit like one of the white, fluffy owls he had seen while on the evening patrol._

_"Exactly what I was going to suggest," Snowfeather said, surprised. Shadefur had joy written all over his face as he stared down at Bluekit and Owlkit, now tumbling over each other. A silent vow ran through his mind, taking over every thought he had for this one, important promise._

They will be the best warriors in the Clan, I swear it.

* * *

><p>Bluekit mewled with excitement as she threw the ball of moss around the clearing. She had yet to notice the amused comments coming from the direction of Foxpaw and Sootpaw, who were sharing some freshkill by the apprentice den.<p>

_I wish someone would play with me_, she thought, before promptly forgetting about it and going on a wild dash after the moss, which had gotten swept up by the wind.

"Come back!" she called, inspiring an amused giggle from Sootpaw. Just in time, she caught it between her teeth, and bounced back to the nursery to show her mother.

"Look what I caught!" she boasted.

"Very nice, Bluekit," her mother said, barely paying her any attention. Bluekit frowned, and waved the moss in her mother's face.

"Look!" she insisted.

"Not now, Bluekit!" Snowfeather snapped. "I'm trying to rest." Bluekit dropped the moss sadly and curled up next to her mother, unable to fall asleep.

* * *

><p>"Bluekit, I do want to play with you, but I have to go on patrol," Shadefur explained. "I'm sorry."<p>

"You never play with me anymore," Bluekit sulked, glaring at the floor. "You always used to play with me, but now you don't."

"Things have changed, Bluekit," Shadefur told her, trying to keep the harshness out of his tone. "Your mother and I have- things have changed between us, and I can't play with you all the time now."

"Just a quick game?" Bluekit begged. "Just a little one."

"A quick game?" Shadefur confirmed. Bluekit dipped her head in agreement. Shadefur couldn't help the joy he felt as he tossed the moss over Bluekit's head, just allowing her to snag it out of the air. She dodged out of his reach, the little ball of moss in her teeth.

"You'll be a great warrior one day, Bluekit," Shadefur told her. "You're very quick!" Bluekit practically beamed at the compliment, increasing her speed as she raced around the clearing for the second time that day.

"Bluekit?" called Snowfeather. "Bluekit, what are you doing?"

"Playing with me," Shadefur replied.

"Come inside, Bluekit!" ordered Snowfeather. Bluekit saw her father's face darken in anger.

"But-"

"Now!" Bluekit carefully picked up the ball of moss and followed her mother's voice into the nursery, saving one last glance for Shadefur, who had stormed off towards the warriors getting ready for the evening patrol.

"I never get to play," she grumbled.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Bluekit," Littleclaw greeted the kit as she cautiously entered the elder's den.<p>

"Hello, Littleclaw," she said.

"Come for a story?" questioned Halftail.

"Yes," replied Bluekit. "I brought you a mouse."

"Will you look at that, Littleclaw, the kit remembered her manners!"

"Yes, Whitefoot, now stop being so unfriendly."

"Which story would you like to hear, little Bluekit?" Halftail asked.

"Can you tell me how StarClan speaks to Ravenstar and Heathertail?"

"StarClan can enter a medicine cat and leader's dreams, and they let them know things that will happen to the Clan," Halftail told Bluekit.

"Usually in a very confusing way," added Whitefoot.

"Confusing way? Why? Couldn't they just tell them straight out what's going to happen?" Bluekit asked. Littleclaw glared at Whitefoot.

"Even StarClan don't know everything, Bluekit," Halftail said. "You would do well to remember that."

"I will," Bluekit said solemnly. She thought for a moment, then asked, "What's the Moonstone for, then?"

"The Moonstone is so ordinary cats can share dreams with StarClan. Every apprentice makes the journey before they become a warrior, so you will visit it one day," Littleclaw answered.

"Thank you, Littleclaw, Halftail, Whitefoot," Bluekit said after a few minutes. "That was really interesting."

"Glad to help, young one," Halftail told her.

"Says you," Whitefoot muttered as Bluekit pranced out the door happily. "She'll be back with more questions; soon enough, and then my sleep will be disrupted yet again."

* * *

><p>Sneaking out of camp was surprisingly easy for Bluekit. She merely slipped out through some bushes behind the apprentice den and she was free to roam where she liked. Determination showed on her features as she set off towards WindClan territory.<p>

_I'll find the Moonstone all by myself, then they'll have to make me a warrior_, Bluekit thought. _Then Snowfeather _has _to pay attention to me. _Her little paws were already aching from all the walking, but she was stubborn in her mindset—she would make it to the Moonstone.

* * *

><p>Shadefur could smell Bluekit's scent leading out of camp.<p>

_What is she doing? She shouldn't be out of camp_, he thought. _What is Snowfeather thinking? Has she forgotten what happened last time?_ He knew he should alert Snowfeather, but ever since the Owlkit incident, he had avoided her like he would if she had greencough.

"Foxpaw!" he called to the tom coming back from a hunting trip. Foxpaw dropped his freshkill by the pile and hurried over to his mentor.

"Yes, Shadefur?"

"Tell Ravenstar that Bluekit has gotten out of camp and we need to organise a search patrol."

His apprentice's eyes widened in shock. "How would she have gotten out of camp-"

"Just tell him."

"Yes, Shadefur." The apprentice hurried over to Ravenstar's den, announcing his presence before being invited in.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Bluekit had nearly reached Fourtrees, and had spotted a mouse. Her stomach had been growling for the past hundred pawsteps, and instinct took over as she stalked the mouse, killing it with one clumsy blow. Her first kill.<p>

_I'll just rest here a while_, she thought, lying down to eat the mouse. _After all, no one will be missing me back at camp_. No one ever did...

* * *

><p>ThunderClan were in a panic. Ravenstar was trying to calm everyone down, relying heavily on his deputy, Darkclaw, to sort out the search patrol.<p>

"Shadefur, Foxpaw, Pebblefur, Sootpaw and I will be going on the patrol," Darkclaw announced.

"What about me?" Snowfeather asked angrily. "She's my kit, why don't I get to go?"

"You're still a queen," Whitefoot pointed out. "And one of her parents is already going, isn't that enough?"

"Oh, Shadefur gets to go," snapped Snowfeather. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Listen, Snowfeather, if you paid more attention to what our kits were doing, Owlkit would still be alive and Bluekit would be here in camp!" Shadefur growled. "Stop delaying the patrol!"

"What did you just say?" The ThunderClan cats watched in horror as Snowfeather snarled in rage, launching herself at her former mate.

* * *

><p><em>I should be there by now<em>, Bluekit thought. _I feel like I've been walking for moons_. Rabbit scent filled the air; she remembered what the elders always told her, of the windswept moors where WindClan lived and rabbits roamed aplenty. She must have finally reached WindClan territory—and she was under the impression that it was impossible for the Moonstone to be any farther away. _I'll have to have another rest_, she decided, picking a scrawny bush to hide in. The stale stench of WindClan was everywhere, and it made her nervous, as if an enemy was going to spring on her any second.

* * *

><p>The sounds of Shadefur and Snowfeather fighting could have been heard at the Moonstone. Hissing and spitting, Snowfeather bit down into Shadefur's leg, causing him to howl in pain. However, Snowfeather hadn't been a warrior for six moons, and Shadefur had been training Foxpaw, who was turning into a fine fighter. He flipped onto his back, causing Snowfeather to crash into the ground in surprise.<p>

"You should have been watching her!" Shadefur spat venomously. "How could you have let her get out of camp?"

"I didn't notice _you_ watching her," said Snowfeather. Shadefur looked at her in disgust; he would have retorted, if he hadn't felt the curious eyes of the entire Clan burning into his pelt. Snowfeather could wait; Bluekit had to be found.

"Let's go," he told the startled members of the patrol.

* * *

><p>"I smell ThunderClan," the lean brown WindClan tom told the rest of the patrol.<p>

"So do I," a grey she-cat said. "It's coming from that direction." She flicked her tail in the direction of Fourtrees, and the WindClan patrol set off in that direction.

* * *

><p>"Looks like she's going to WindClan territory," Darkclaw told the rest of the patrol.<p>

"WindClan?" Shadefur questioned. "What reason would she have for going there?"

"We'll ask her when we find her," Darkclaw said. "Let's go." The patrol crossed the border into WindClan territory.

* * *

><p>Bluekit watched, terrified, as the WindClan patrol got closer and closer to where she was hiding. She had given up all plans for going to the Moonstone; she just wanted to go home.<p>

"There's a few of them," she heard the brown tom say. "I'd say a patrol. An attack?"

"Must be," replied a black tom. "Why else would they be on our territory in such numbers?"

_Are they stupid? _Bluekit wondered. _Can't they tell it's only me on their territory?_

"We'll hide here," a she-cat said. "Ambush them. Let them know that WindClan won't tolerate an attack." Bluekit heard rustling as the WindClan cats slipped into their hiding spot, then silence.

* * *

><p>"This way," Darkclaw ordered. "I can still smell her."<p>

"WindClan, attack!" The ThunderClan cats heard the order too late; the WindClan cats caught them completely by surprise, cutting off any escape routes.

"Enough!" roared Darkclaw, glaring at the brown tom. "Even you, Shortwhisker, wouldn't attack a patrol searching for a missing kit."

"A missing kit?" Shortwhisker questioned, disbelief in his tone. "We smelt no ThunderClan kit on our territory."

"Her scent led us here," Darkclaw stated. "So we came here."

"I don't believe you," said Shortwhisker, flicking his tail forwards. The WindClan cats leapt at the search patrol, only to be met by unsheathed claws.

"We don't want a fight, but you will get one if you attack us, Shortwhisker," Darkclaw warned. The WindClan deputy didn't reply, instead leaping at his enemy's throat.

* * *

><p>Bluekit watched, terrified, as a tom, big by WindClan standards, launched himself at her father's head. What she didn't expect was for her father to retaliate by clawing the tom's belly, drawing huge amounts of blood. The violence shocked Bluekit, and without meaning to, she scrambled to her feet and ran.<p>

"Shadefur!" called Pebblefur. "I can see Bluekit!" Shadefur ignored her, his focus was on the battle, and the battle only. After he had sent the tom howling back to his mother, he realised what Pebblefur had said.

"Where?" he asked.

"ShadowClan!" That was enough to send Shadefur sprinting away from the battle, anxious to get Bluekit away from WindClan, away from ShadowClan, away from everyone but her family. Her family.

"Bluekit!" he called, seeing the small grey kit up ahead. She stopped at the sound of his voice, but seeing his blood-stained claws made her frightened again, and she dashed away again, straight onto... the Thunderpath.

"No, Bluekit!" He felt the tremble of a monster as it rushed past. "Bluekit?" No response. He rushed forwards, onto the Thunderpath, all fear for his own well-being gone. "Bluekit?" A last question, a last hope. No response.

Then he saw her.

His only kit.

Dead.

* * *

><p>He could have explained to Snowfeather, patiently, that he would go find her and bring her back home. He didn't have to remind her of Owlkit; it was his fault as much as Snowfeather's for letting him wander out of camp and freeze in the snows. He could have followed Bluekit's trail on his own, and found her before running into WindClan. He could have snatched her up, the daughter he had loved so, and returned her home to a family. Not a broken one-a <em>real<em> family, like how they had been before Owlkit died.  
>She would have been safe.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, it's finished. Now would be about the time to roll the credits for a movie, so here they are for the story:<strong>

**Veni, Fayy, Dragon and Nida all helped me for this story, and credit should be given to them for helping me with the plot.**

**Dragon has been a massive help with editing and catching stupid mistakes I made.**

**I can't thank them all enough.**

**Okay, enough from me.**

**~Hannah**


End file.
